Annals of internal medicine
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Relatively few data are available on risk for or survival with coronary heart disease in African-American persons. ⋯ Total incidence of coronary heart disease is higher in African-American women aged 25 to 54 years than in white women of the same ages and is lower in African-American men aged 25 to 74 years than in white men of the same ages.
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The quadriceps weakness commonly associated with osteoarthritis of the knee is widely believed to result from disuse atrophy secondary to pain in the involved joint. However, quadriceps weakness may be an etiologic factor in the development of osteoarthritis. ⋯ Quadriceps weakness may be present in patients who have osteoarthritis but do not have knee pain or muscle atrophy; this suggests that the weakness may be due to muscle dysfunction. The data are consistent with the possibility that quadriceps weakness is a primary risk factor for knee pain, disability, and progression of joint damage in persons with osteoarthritis of the knee.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Patient preferences for communication with physicians about end-of-life decisions. SUPPORT Investigators. Study to Understand Prognoses and Preference for Outcomes and Risks of Treatment.
Physicians are frequently unaware of patient preferences for end-of-life care. Identifying and exploring barriers to patient-physician communication about end-of-life issues may help guide physicians and their patients toward more effective discussions. ⋯ Among seriously ill hospitalized adults, communication about preferences for cardiopulmonary resuscitation is uncommon. A majority of patients who have not discussed preferences for end-of-life care do not want to do so. For patients who do not want to discuss their preferences, as well as patients with an unmet need for such discussions, failure to discuss preferences for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mechanical ventilation may result in unwanted interventions.